Gold leafing is a centuries-old art, but one artist takes it to another whole level. The art by Paul Hunter has been described as luminous, exquisite, and exceptional. Those who are interested in abstract Modernist artwork will truly appreciate the unique metal foil art by Paul Hunter. His work is featured as one of the American artists who appear in the art collections in private and public museums worldwide. Here is what you need to know about this fantastic artist and how his work is unique.
Who is Paul Hunter?
Born in Paris in 1954, Paul Hunter fell in love with art at the age of five years old when his fine arts parents hung his work in the hall of their home. His paintings depict imaginary landscapes using metal and gold leaf to create radiant backdrops. He grew up in Quebec City and received his MFA in Montreal. He currently operates a studio in Harlem.
Blending light and acrylic paint, Paul seeks to create paintings that viewers can read like a musical score at a level beyond description, narrative, and comprehension. He was first inspired to create this particular kind of artwork while looking at newly cast shining metal at a foundry. He has also experimented with printmaking, low relief carving, and bronze sculptures.
What Makes His Work Unique?
Paul Hunter creates metal foil landscapes using precious metals to create a luminous background for his acrylic paintings. What sets his fine art prints apart is that he takes weeks to incorporate this thin metal leaf into the canvas. He prepares numerous canvases at one time, then goes to work on each one of his abstract art prints at a time. Using his brush handle, he scrapes through wet paint of finely drawn lines over the gold leaf to reveal the reflective light of the metal.
in his artwork, inspired by nature, he is consistently looking for new ways to absorb his surrounding landscape onto the canvas. So much so, that he admits that he never leaves his house without fountain pens and a sketchbook so he can capture inspiration when it strikes. In more recent work, he took transparencies of his own photos of New York City and applied them directly to the metal leafing. He then painted iridescent glazes and pigments over the newly formed overlapping grid to try to evoke the flickering imagery of the silver screen, early cinema, and photography.
The lustrous abstract art by Paul Hunter is truly captivating. Blending Modernist painting techniques with gold leafing, he creates masterpieces of landscapes through a creative and painstaking process. With his extensive collection of pieces, there is definitely something that anyone can enjoy.